Now, Paan Singh Tomar on your shelf

His was a story that moved many hearts, and when filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia and actor Irrfan brought Paan Singh Tomar’s life to the big screen they shone a spotlight on the struggles of small-town India.

His was a story that moved many hearts, and when filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia and actor Irrfan brought Paan Singh Tomar’s life to the big screen they shone a spotlight on the struggles of small-town India. The makers are now all set to come out with a coffee table book on the slain dacoit, expected to hit bookstores in couple of months.

The idea had been playing on Irrfan’s mind ever since he played the army man-turned-athlete-turned-outlaw in the 2012 film. “Thousands of stories live and die unnoticed in India every day. These stories are complex, moving and engaging. I feel they should be brought to light in whatever form possible. A book on Paan Singh is an experience that will include all the details that the film could not,” say Irrfan.

Tigmanshu believes that the story of the making of the film is equally compelling for the producers. “It was so captivating that I believed that it needed to be told. UTV (producer) even funded the research for this film. Tomar's struggle is not very different from what our real heroes face even today,” says Tigmanshu.

When asked about the book, Siddharth Roy Kapur, head honcho, UTV Motion pictures, says, “It is important for filmmakers and studios to archive stories around iconic movies which can inspire future generations. As an industry we haven’t done enough to document our rich cinematic heritage, and this is a small step in that direction.”